EPIPHANY ONE, TWO, THREE.

 

What have these three got in common?



1. The visit of the Magi (Three Wise Men)

2. The Baptism of The Lord in the Jordan.

3. The Marriage feast of Cana.

Answer: They are all included under the term Epiphany. That word, from the Greek, means a moment when things are revealed or made known. So its easy to see why all three events can be included under that heading.

1. Wise Men: Jesus is revealed as being for all nations
2. Baptism in the Jordan: Jesus identifies himself with sinners
3. Cana: The "first sign" of Jesus shows him to be the one who can truly transform our lives.
Each event enshrines the ONE great truth that  "Jesus is for Us" whoever we are.

All three scripture events feature in the liturgical life of the Church in these first post Christmas days, though only the "Wise Men" is nailed down to a fixed date. The baptism is given a date one week after the "Maji". Cana is left to float but even then, when not given a Sunday Gospel of its own, it is remembered in the readings of the Divine Office.

All three remind us that Bethlehem is not just a pleasant tale for children but has within itself the great truth that the Child  born there  is Christ the Lord and is indeed FOR US, wherever we are.


Before I finish let me pay tribute to someone of whom you will almost certainly never have heard. His name was Kieran Sullivan and when I was a child he lived in a flat in the grounds of our Parish Priests house and looked after pretty well everything about the place. He tolled the bell three times each day for The Angelus, saw to the milking of the cows on the parish farm, prepared everything necessary for funerals and (the one I chiefly remember him for), looked after the Parish crib at Christmas time.

He it was who saw to it that when all our backs were turned, the three Wise Men or Kings suddenly appeared bringing a near magical lustre to the other figures in the crib. I loved it and couldn't wait to tell my mother that "the kings have arrived". I still love the Epiphany and all the poetry that's been written about it. And though today I like to look further afield for its deeper meaning I still remember the stooped figure of Kieran Sullivan putting it all together while no  one saw.